Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 683-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-midas-lst514-pkt-683-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Midas (ARB-5) - construction, naming, sponsor, commissioning, Pacific service narrative, inactivation (live NHHC page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Midas (ARB-5) entry - narrative and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: LST-514 laid down 31 August 1943 at Seneca, Illinois, by Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.; reclassified as a battle damage repair ship and named Midas (ARB-5) on 3 November 1943; launched 24 December 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Frederick J. Miller; commissioned 23 May 1944 at Baltimore, Md., Lt. Robert A. Young in command. Departed Norfolk 25 June 1944 for the Pacific; arrived off New Guinea 26 August 1944 after repairing ships in the Society Islands and New Caledonia; arrived San Pedro, Leyte, 12 November 1944 as the first Seventh Fleet repair ship there; splashed one aircraft 27 November 1944; from 25 May 1945 worked battle damage and routine repair from Guiuan Roadstead, Samar; post-war concentrated on mine-damaged hulls; steamed for home 10 December 1945, reaching San Francisco 17 January 1946. Served Twelfth Naval District until transferred to San Diego May 1946; placed in reserve, in commission, 30 November 1946 (Nineteenth Fleet); decommissioned January 1947; through 1969 still berthed at San Diego in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. One battle star for World War II service. Spec block: dp. 1,781; l. 328'0"; b. 50'0"; dr. 11'2"; s. 11.6 k.; cpl. 269; a. 1 3", 8 40mm., 8 20mm.; cl. Aristaeus.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1969 (entry coverage)
- Population
- Chicago Bridge & Iron construction workforce (Aug-Dec 1943); Maryland Dry Dock conversion workforce (Dec 1943-May 1944); crew (1944-1947)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific Navy history; no asbestos or material content. DANFS coverage ends with 'through 1969 ... berthed at San Diego' - it does not document the 1976 striking or 1980 disposal (covered by NavSource and MARAD rows). Complement figure 269 conflicts with NavSource's itemized 254 - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-midas-lst514-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Midas (ARB-5) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 09/26/2605.htm header block, campaign table, specifications, photo captions, commanding-officer table (live page verified)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 31 August 1943 as LST-514 at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL; redesignated battle damage repair ship 3 November 1943; launched 24 December 1943; 'Completed as a Battle Damage Repair Ship at Maryland Dry Dock Co., Baltimore, MD'; commissioned USS Midas (ARB-5) 23 May 1944 at Baltimore, LT Robert A. Young, USNR in command; Asiatic-Pacific campaign credit - Leyte landings 5-18 and 12-29 November 1944; placed in reserve, in commission, 30 November 1946 at San Diego; decommissioned January 1947 into Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group; struck from the Naval Register 15 April 1976; transferred to MARAD; final disposition - sold by MARAD for scrapping to Levine Metals Corp., advertised under PD-X-1034 dated 6 October 1980, sold 19 November 1980, $452,000 (lot of 2 ships). Specifications block: displacement 1,781 t light / 4,100 t full; complement 20 officers, 234 enlisted; largest boom 50 t; propulsion two GM 12-567A diesels, single Falk main reduction gears, two propellers, 1,800 shp; ship's service generators four 100 kW 120V/240V DC + two 100 kW 450V AC; fuel 4,480 bbls diesel. Photo captions document NARA Bureau of Ships photo 19-N-66520 (underway near Baltimore 18 March 1944, after conversion) and NARA photos 80-G-235139/80-G-235140 (Hampton Roads 16 June 1944). Commanding officers: LT Young (23 May 1944-Jan 1946), LT Saravia (Jan-Mar 1946), LCDR Gilman Jr. (Mar 1946-Jan 1947).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1980
- Population
- Chicago Bridge & Iron (1943); Maryland Dry Dock conversion trades (1943-44); crew (1944-47); reserve-fleet maintenance population (1947-1976)
- Limitations
- Volunteer secondary compilation whose milestones track DANFS/MARAD here; establishes the Maryland Dry Dock conversion detail DANFS omits and the strike/disposal dates. No asbestos content. The scrapping-sale detail is consistent with the MARAD primary record (ev-03).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-midas-lst514-02
-
[4]MARAD Vessel History Database, MIDAS (ARB-5), ID 6109, incl. status card image (Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov detail page + status-card image https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/6109_AF.jpg (fetched and read this session)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD Vessel History Database record for MIDAS (ARB-5), vessel ID 6109: year built 1943, shipyard Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, type Naval Combatant/Military. The MARAD status card (Form MA-20, Record of Ship Sales) for PD-X-1034 MIDAS (ARB-5) records: awarded to LEVIN METALS CORPORATION, dated 11-19-80, purchase price 'Lump Sum of $452,000 for 2'; contract MA-9944; year built 1943; location of vessel Bremerton, Washington; acquisition note 'Built by Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.'; remarks - 'Advertised under PD-X-1034 dated 10-6-80 dated 11-13-80 under two condition: (1) NTU (2) SCRAP HULL. Award under condition (1) NTU.' The card's TYPE field reads 'LST' - the MARAD system files this ARB conversion under its original hull form.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1980 (record), sale 1980
- Population
- Levin Metals scrapping workforce (1980-81); reserve-fleet/NDRF custodial population at Bremerton
- Limitations
- Primary federal disposition record. Establishes sale to Levin Metals Corp. 19 Nov 1980 and the vessel's Bremerton, Washington location at sale - it does NOT support the 'sold to Colombia' claim circulating in secondary sources (see gaps), and no scrapping-site or hazmat detail is recorded on the card. 'NTU' (non-transportation-use award condition) and the 'LST' type field are MARAD catalog artifacts, not vessel-type findings.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-midas-lst514-03
-
[5]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (January 1945), LST design table, roster conversion annotations, and ship index (shipscribe.com scan, text layer extracted) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 roster (LST514 'Now ARB5'), alphabetical index ('Midas (ex-LST514) ARB5'), LST design table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 2 (Jan 1945): the wartime roster annotates 'LST514 - Now ARB5' and the alphabetical index carries 'Midas (ex-LST514) ... ARB5' - the BuShips official record of this hull's conversion identity. The same volume's LST design table documents the LST-491-group hull form on which she was built: 328 ft oa, 50 ft beam, ~2,366 t light / 3,960-4,080 t trial, 11.6 kt, 2 x GM 12-567A diesels 1,700 shp.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945 (publication); hull 1943-44
- Limitations
- Official wartime roster and design reference; documents conversion identity and the hull form's design characteristics - no material or asbestos content. Note the class profile's earlier copy of this volume was hosted at a now-404 URL (styles/usnaux/sdb/); current verified URL is the pubs/ path.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-midas-lst514-04
-
[6]Era inference built on: DANFS spec block and NavSource specifications (diesel ARB, built 1943-44); BuShips SD-1945 v2 LST design table (LST-491-group hull); class-profile evidence for the LST-1/491 design family (diesel plant, era-standard applications) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ev-01/-02/-04 underlying records; class-era synthesis only
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference only: this is a diesel-powered LST-491-group hull completed as an Aristaeus-class battle damage repair ship inside the Navy's documented asbestos era. For diesel amphibious hulls of this period the asbestos-relevant applications were diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings; the ARB conversion at Maryland Dry Dock Co. added extensive interior workshop and machinery buildout of the same era (machine shops, repair berthing, and the 50-ton boom installation documented in the specifications). No boilers, so the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1980
- Population
- CB&I Seneca construction trades (1943); Maryland Dry Dock conversion trades (1943-44); crew (1944-47); reserve-fleet maintenance (1947-76); Levin Metals scrapping workforce (1980-81)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package was located for this vessel. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution. The conversion-yard interior buildout is documented as an event (NavSource), but its specific material content is inference.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-midas-lst514-05
-
[7]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403 - standing defect since Batch 01)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction (1943-44) and commissioned service (1944-47).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov HTTP 403 to automated fetch); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-midas-lst514-06
-
[8]Batch-7022 search ledger (this record): live DANFS; NavSource; MARAD vessel history + status card; BuShips SD-1945 v2; HyperWar corroboration; CourtListener (partial - pacing-limited); NARA deck-log index; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-midas-lst514-01 through -12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS Midas (ARB-5) or LST-514 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener opinion searches returned: 'USS Midas' 0 hits; 'LST-514' 0 hits; 'ARB-5' 3,076 hits consisting of token collisions (Administrative Review Board and similar), with no ship or asbestos context in the results reviewed. The docket (type=r) sweep: 'USS Midas' returned non-ship OCR-noise collisions in unrelated prisoner/civil dockets; 'LST-514' returned count 0; 'ARB-5' docket was not completed under the fleet-wide pacing limiter. Marketing assertions exist (asbestos-ships.com publishes a 'USS Midas (ARB-5) and Asbestos Exposure' page asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard. The docket-level CourtListener sweep is incomplete under the shared pacing limiter - the litigation record is open, not negative; this row reports only what the completed queries returned. Deck logs, BuShips conversion work packages, and scrapping-contract files are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-midas-lst514-07
-
[9]DANFS entry title and narrative; BuShips SD-1945 v2 roster/index; NavSource LST index row (LST-514 -> 09/26/2605); MARAD status card (Levin Metals); Wikipedia USS Midas (secondary claim, not carried) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ev-01/-02/-03/-04 citations; Wikipedia 'Post-war service' paragraph (secondary)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION + consolidation note: this hull is documented everywhere in the primary record by its auxiliary identity - DANFS titles the entry 'Midas (ARB-5)', the BuShips roster and index record 'LST514 Now ARB5' / 'Midas (ex-LST514) ARB5', NavSource's LST index resolves LST-514 to the ARB-5 page, and she commissioned as Midas (ARB-5) without ever serving under the LST designation. Landing-ship-only metadata for this hull is therefore a filing artifact (MARAD's status card still types her 'LST'), not her service type. A secondary-source claim that she was 'sold to Colombia' and retained her name (Wikipedia, echoed by marketing pages) is NOT supported by the MARAD status card, which documents a 1980 scrapping sale to Levin Metals Corp. under NTU/scrap-hull conditions.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1980
- Limitations
- Corrects type/class metadata framing and records a disposition conflict, not a material claim. The 'sold to Colombia' variant is carried in gaps as unresolved secondary noise; the MARAD primary record controls the disposition carried in current_status.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-midas-lst514-08
-
[10]NARA RG 19 vessel photographs (numbers transcribed in NavSource captions); NARA 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' index page (searched, no Midas entry) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 09/26/2605 photo captions (19-N-66520; 80-G-235139/235140); archives.gov deck-log index full-text grep (no Midas)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads: NARA Bureau of Ships photographs document this hull - 19-N-66520 (underway near Baltimore 18 March 1944, after completion of conversion) and 80-G-235139/80-G-235140 (Hampton Roads, 16 June 1944), per NavSource-transcribed NARA captions. The NARA 'Navy Deck Logs Available' online index contains no Midas/ARB-5/LST-514 entry - her 1944-47 deck logs remain an analog or unindexed lead in RG 24.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947 (records)
- Population
- Crew (1944-47)
- Limitations
- Leads only: photographs establish physical presence/post-conversion appearance, not work or materials records. catalog.archives.gov is JS-rendered and could not be independently queried; NAIDs not resolved. Absence from the deck-log index page does not prove the logs do not exist - they are a College Park analog lead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-midas-lst514-09